Originally written by Tina Chow for TalentEgg.ca.
Investing the time and energy in your growth and wellness is the best gift you can give to your current and future self. You are your biggest asset and deserve to live out your dreams and aspirations by investing in yourself. You can design a healthy lifestyle filled with joy, happiness, and fulfillment by implementing these tools and strategies.
Set intentions for the day
The best way to prepare for a new day is to set intentions the night before and review your tasks early next morning. Some simple yet efficient productivity and time management tools to organize your to-do list include:
- Urgent-Important (/Eisenhower) Matrix: helps you identify which tasks are high priority and require immediate action and which tasks can be delegated or ignored
- Task Batching: a process of combining similar tasks to be completed at once
- Time Boxing: allocated periods to complete tasks with strict limits
- Trello: a project management and team collaboration tool that's also great for personal checklists
- A Habit Tracker: to help you stay on track with all your habits
These tools will help you prioritize essential tasks, manage your time efficiently, and build consistent habits. This will reduce stress and anxiety surrounding your tasks and improve overall personal wellness.
Learn something new that sparks your curiosity
If anything sparks your curiosity, take a chance on yourself to try. Growth comes from seizing opportunities. Try something new, even if you might not be good at it and have fun doing so! This unique experience can become a hobby, a side hustle — or a learning experience.
By learning something new and indulging in your curiosity, you build self-trust and become even more open-minded to future opportunities. Invest in yourself by learning a new skill and witness your growth through the experience!
Take frequent breaks from work to move your body
Lunch breaks during work hours should be a non-negotiable no-brainer, but what about mini breaks throughout the work day? Employees are encouraged to take frequent breaks to get fresh air and move their bodies, no matter how busy the work day is.
Research from Gitnux found that "43% of employees who take more frequent breaks boost their happiness," and "taking a short break between 5-15 minutes every hour can benefit one's focus, productivity, and well-being."
Here's your permission to take breaks every hour: stretch and move your body to increase blood flow to the brain, reduce fatigue, and feel more energized for the rest of your day!
Find a grounding practice to help you relax and unwind
Do you know what helps you regulate your nervous system? Find a grounding practice that allows you to tune into your body and recalibrate throughout the day. Some practices you can implement day-to-day include:
Check in with your energy throughout the day and ask yourself what you need each moment. Whenever you feel overwhelmed and need a break, you know what works for you and your body.
Get enough sleep
Do we need 7-8 hours of sleep every night? Yes, we do. Quality sleep plays a significant role in your overall health and well-being. If you need some convincing, read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker to understand the importance of quality sleep.
Getting enough sleep is crucial as it impacts your mental and emotional well-being, immune system, brain and heart health, and other bodily functions, which allows you to learn, retrain memories, problem-solve and make decisions quickly.
Remember, you can't take care of others, perform well at work, and be productive throughout the day if you don't take care of yourself — and get enough sleep.
Conclusion
An essential part of self-care and personal growth is investing in yourself. It does not always involve your finances, but making the time and effort to realize where you are and working on becoming an even better version of yourself!
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